The present invention relates to an image administration method, an image administration apparatus and an image administration program, and in particular, to an image administration method, an image administration apparatus and an image administration program, wherein, when a large number of image data are stored in each of plural users, image data can be managed efficiently and the contents of image data can be viewed from outside of the apparatus by thumbnail images for display, while security of each user is taken into consideration.
There have appeared on the market copying machines each being equipped with a hard disk drive and is structured so that image data acquired through reading by a scanner can be stored. In some of them, in this case, image data can be managed by a directory corresponding to a user name, under the consideration that the copying machine will be used by a plurality of users.
In the copying machine as one stated above wherein image data can be stored, there is no consideration for grasping the types of contents of the stored image data, which has made it necessary to confirm the contents by outputting on the recording sheet actually.
Though it is conceivable to generate thumbnail images with reduced image data corresponding to each image data, there has been a problem that contents of the image data are disclosed to others when the thumbnail images are browsed by others, resulting in a decline of security.
Further, with respect to a method to manage image data of each user and thumbnail images to be in connection with each other and a method of browsing, there has been established no decisive method for efficient management of image data.
The invention has been achieved in view of the aforementioned subjects, and its the first aspect is to realize an image administration method, an image administration apparatus and an image administration program wherein, when a plurality of image data are stored in each of plural users, image data can be managed efficiently, while security of each user is taken into consideration.
In the copying machine as one stated above wherein image data can be stored, it is possible to use a web server that is built in the copying machine for grasping, from an outside equipment (user's computer connected with a network), the contents of image data stored in the machine.
However, no consideration has been paid for efficient generation of display-use thumbnail image, although the display-use thumbnail image can be browsed concerning the contents of the stored image data.
Namely, since a hardware is occupied for generation of thumbnail images, operations of copying cannot be conducted simultaneously, and the machine has been required to be in the state of idling, which has caused a decline of copying productivity.
The invention has been achieved in view of the aforementioned subjects, and its second aspect is to realize an image administration method, an image administration apparatus and an image administration program wherein, a plurality of image data are stored, and when contents of stored image data are browsed by an external equipment as thumbnail images, display-use thumbnail image is generated and stored efficiently as image data are stored.